Dead Rising 3 sales rise to 1.2m as Capcom enjoys profit boost

Xbox One launch title Dead Rising 3 has now sold 1.2m copies, Capcom has said.

Reporting its financial year ending 31st March 2014, the Japanese company highlighted its zombie kill 'em up alongside the PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 version of Resident Evil Revelations and Nintendo 3DS game Monster Hunter 4 as million-sellers.

But it was Monster Hunter 4 which was the star of the show. It launched in September 2013 in Japan and has now sold 4.1m units, making it the sixth best-selling Capcom game ever. Capcom said it saw "explosive popularity with long lines forming at major retailers across the nation since the release date". It was a smash hit, Capcom added. The series has now sold over 28m copies. Monster Hunter 4 launches on these shores in expanded form in early 2015.

On the downside, however, was Spark Unlimited's third-person shooter Lost Planet 3 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Sales were "below expectations", Capcom said, "due in part to intensifying competition in the European and US markets." Perhaps it was also because it wasn't very good.

Video games contributed to a positive year for Capcom. Sales increased 8.6 per cent to 102 billion yen (£592m), and profit rose 15.9 per cent to 3.4 billion yen (£20m).

For the next financial year Capcom said it would work to improve its under-performing smartphone business and release online-focused games on PC and other platforms. Announced projects include Deep Down.